Pagan Community Notes is a series focused on news originating from within the Pagan community. Reinforcing the idea that what happens to and within our organizations, groups, and events is news, and news-worthy. My hope is that more individuals, especially those working within Pagan organizations, get into the habit of sharing their news with the world. So let’s get started!

Morpheus Ravenna

Morpheus Ravenna, co-founder of Coru Cathubodua, and one of the subjects of the documentary American Mystic, launched an IndieGoGo crowdfunding venture this week to fund a book project focused on the Celtic goddess Morrigan. In the span of just a few days, it has already managed to reach 70% of its $7,500 goal. Quote: “My name is Morpheus Ravenna. I write the Shieldmaiden Blog and I’m known in my community for my service as a priest of the Morrigan, the Celtic Goddess of battle, prophecy, and Otherworld power. I’ve been studying these traditions for almost 20 years – my entire adult life. I’ve combed the volumes of Irish lore, ancient history and archaeology, and modern scholarly study for insights to help modern practitioners understand and connect with the Great Queen. My research notes encompass hundreds of pages of material, some of it never presented outside academic publications. And now I’m ready to share my years of study with you.”Here’s the Google Hangout video from the launch night event. Below, I’ve embedded the official pitch video.

The Wild Hunt’s own Cara Schulz, a member of Hellenismos, is running for a seat on the Burnsville City Council in Minnesota. In a recent post on her candidacy page’s blog, Schulz explains to voters about her faith. Quote: “Hellenismos is very family focused and primarily practiced in the home. It mainly consists of praying and burning incense. I find it spiritually fulfilling and beneficial to my life. It’s a comfort to me when I need comfort and a kick in the pants when I need that. What residents may want to know, and they have a right to know, is how will my religious views affect me as City Council member? Probably no more, or no less, than any other candidate. I have no intention of pushing my religion on anyone or allowing its tenets to dictate law. Our government is a secular government and I firmly support that.” Schulz added that “Burnsville residents have always been welcoming of cultures, faiths, and ideas, as long as you are open and honest with them. It’s one of the things I love most about Burnsville.” The Wild Hunt, as a rule, does not endorse candidates from any party in elections, Pagan or not, but we will wish our friend and colleague good luck in the race ahead. Find out more about Cara and her candidacy at the official candidate’s page. You can also find her on Facebook.

Pagan learning institution Cherry Hill Seminary has released a free media presentation called “Don’t Look Away” to help non-professionals recognize and respond to abuse within their community. Quote: “In response to growing concern about accountability in our communities, Cherry Hill Seminary has released a free media presentation called Don’t Look Away: Recognizing & Responding to Abuse for non-professionals. Don’t Look Away was created to help individuals and small groups better understand the nature of sexual abuse and appropriate ways to respond, as well as what to do if you have been abused, yourself. Numerous resources are given, such as the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, National Domestic Violence Hotline, and others. The presentation also references a new Emergency Resources page on the Cherry Hill Seminary web site. The page is a quick reference, not only on sexual abuse, but on domestic violence, addictions, child and elder abuse and neglect, mental health, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”You can find the CHS Emergency Resources page here. CHS Executive Director Holli Emore added in the official press release that “for far too long, we have either not recognized the signs of abuse among us, or we have looked away, assuming, hoping, that someone else will take care of the problem. But those problems don’t go away by themselves.”

Here’s some older news that I previously missed. The Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall is under new management. Quote: “Graham [King] would like to announce that as of the 31st Oct 2013, he will retire as Director of the Museum of Witchcraft and Simon Costin has been appointed as the new Director. The management of the museum will now come under the umbrella of the Museum of British Folklore. The entire contents of the museum and library has been donated to the MoBF to ensure its survival as a single collection and it will remain in its current location and will continue to run as an autonomous entity. Simon has obtained charitable status for his museum and so this will be extended to encompass the Museum of Witchcraft. There are many benefits to be gained from this, from Gift Aid to tax relief.” You’ll be hearing more about this soon, but for now here’s the museum’s official page.

Oh, and while I’m on the topic of the Morrigan and Morpheus Ravenna, here’s a Patheos Pagan Portal interview with her. Quote: “I was introduced to Her in ritual with my teachers in the Feri coven, around the age of 18 or 19. My early feeling for Her was one of awe, and a sort of indescribable mix of beauty and terror, like falling in love. I think She impacted me so much partly because Her presence was just so strong – I remember feeling like maybe I’d never met a God before, because Her presence was ovewhelming and put all the other experiences I’d had with deities into the shade. There was also a profound feeling of recognition.”

Jason Pitzl-Waters

If anybody’s watching the Youtube recording of the Google hangout stream… My apologies for slowness in figuring out the technology! Took me to several minutes into the stream before I realized that I had manual control of which participant’s webcam was being featured. Fun with new gadgets! I’m used to using regular (private) Google hangouts where it usually defaults to showing whoever is speaking at the time.